Messenger Plus! for Windows Live Messenger is an add-on for Windows Live Messenger, it adds different features to Messenger to make it more enjoyable day after day. A list of the main features can be found in the features section on this site. Messenger Plus! is not a chat program – while it adds functionalities to Messenger, it can't be used as a standalone application.

Is Messenger Plus! for Windows Live Messenger an official add-on from Microsoft?

No, Messenger Plus! for Windows Live Messenger is not an official add-on from Microsoft. That being said, Microsoft is aware of its existence, but you can't contact the Messenger support team to get help on a Messenger Plus! feature. In any case, Messenger Plus! for Windows Live Messenger is by far the most popular and respected add-on for Messenger since 2001 :).

Can I send Messenger Plus! for Windows Live Messenger to my contacts? Is it free?

Yes, you are allowed to send Messenger Plus! for Windows Live Messenger to your contacts and the software is entirely free. Messenger Plus! is a freeware which means that you can redistribute it to whoever you want. Of course, we reserve the right to prevent any person or company from redistributing the software if the distribution method is thought to be damaging the software's reputation in any way.

Does Messenger Plus! for Windows Live Messenger work on the Windows Live Messenger beta's

Messenger Plus! for Windows Live Messenger is meant to work only with Windows Live Messenger’s general public release. Sometimes Microsoft changes some internal workings on how Windows Live Messenger works and which may cause issues with Messenger Plus!.

I cannot find feature X! It was in the previous versions but now it’s gone?

Over time some features have been moved, removed, rename or replaced by new ones. To localize a feature you can try the search preference or check the change log or search the forum.

Some features are not included in Messenger Plus! for Windows Live Messenger for several reasons. Privacy is the first one: no feature will ever be added that could compromise the privacy or the security of your contacts. Second is conviviality: preferences panels with too many options are not very user friendly which is why some minor settings are available only through the registry. Last is politically correctness: we are doing our best to take good care of our users and some options just don't fit in our targeted audience.

I accidentally locked Windows Live Messenger! How do I unlock it?

You probably pressed the keys that lock messenger by default (control + space). To unlock it you can click the disconnected disk (magnifying glass?) icon or start the task manager (Ctrl + Alt + Delete) and look for "msnmsgr.exe" then end the task.

Is there a Macintosh/Linux version of Messenger Plus! for Windows Live Messenger?

Unfortunately there isn’t any Macintosh or Linux version available at this time.

I have a problem. Where can I get some help?

If you have a problem that is not listed in these pages you can search in the forum or make a new post to request some personal assistance. You can also check in the shout box and there may be someone to help you there.

I have a suggestion. How can I send it to you?

You can post your suggestions on the forum the Messenger Plus! development team look at them from time to time. Who knows? Maybe it will make it way on a following release.

What's the difference between Messenger Plus! Live and Messenger Plus!?

Messenger Plus! was the application's original given name at its inception back in 2001. The name was later changed to Messenger Plus! Live until version 4.9 and then reverted back to Messenger Plus! upon the release of version 5.0 in February, 2011. The release of Messenger Plus! 5.0 marked the rebranding of the website and logo introducing full support for Windows Live Messenger 2011 users while also maintaining backwards compatibility with WLM 2009.

I have installed Messenger Plus! for Windows Live Messenger but it doesn’t work properly. What can I do?

Unfortunately Messenger Plus! for Windows Live Messenger is not fully compatible with some Windows Live Messenger add-ons like SweetIM, SmileyCentral, Bandoo, and HiYo. If you happen to have one on these install try to removing them and install of Messenger Plus! for Windows Live Messenger again. If you still have difficulty you can search in the forum or make a new post.

How can I uninstall Messenger Plus! for Windows Live Messenger?

Messenger Plus! for Windows Live Messenger can be uninstalled like any other software on your computer. Click on "Start\Control Panel" and select "Add/Remove Programs" (Windows XP) or "Programs and Features" (Windows Vista/Windows 7). In the list that will be displayed select "Messenger Plus! for Windows Live Messenger” then click on "Remove" or "Uninstall" and follow the instructions. Messenger Plus! for Windows Live Messenger will be uninstalled quickly from your system. Some files will be removed only after you restart your computer.

How can I uninstall the sponsor program?

The sponsor program can be uninstalled like any other software on your computer. Click on "Start\Control Panel" and select "Add/Remove Programs" (Windows XP) or "Programs and Features" (Windows Vista/Windows 7). In the list that will be displayed, select the sponsor program, click on "Remove" or "Uninstall" and follow the instructions.

How can I uninstall the Messenger Plus! Toolbar?

To remove the Messenger Plus! toolbar, click on "Start\Control Panel" and select "Add/Remove Programs" (Windows XP) or "Programs and Features" (Windows Vista/Windows 7). Look for the "Messenger Plus! Community SmartBar" on the list of programs. Click "Remove" or "Uninstall".

How can I develop my own Messenger Plus! for Windows Live Messenger plugins?

Messenger Plus! for Windows Live Messenger plugins are based on the JScript language. All the documentation concerning those parts of the product can be found in the Scripting section of this site.

How can I create my own skins?

Starting with version 5.10, Messenger Plus! for Windows Live Messenger offers three ways to create your own skins.
a. By using the Easy Skin Creator: a wizard allowing you to define a very simple skin in four easy steps.
b. By using the Skin Editor: this WYSWYG tool allows you to add images, colors and transparency to the most important elements of the WLM interface directly in Windows Live Messenger! It also allows you to modify skins created in any other mode.
c. Manually: by editing the several xml and xml-like files defining a skin (see the “How To” documentation inside the Skinning section). Unlike the two previous modes, this one involves a steep learning curve and generating a skin (even a simple one) in this mode is time consuming.

What are the main limitations of the Skin Editor?

The skin editor in its current state helps you to create new skins of medium complexity without having to deal with the intricacies of xml and xml-like bunch of files that ultimately define a skin. This tool was designed with ease of use and productivity in mind, therefore the list of elements and properties to be edited is limited to a manageable size. In addition the editor does not allow the definition of skin options. Due to these limitations, the manual method of creating skins (i. e. by editing the defs, styles and skininfo.xml) preserves all its value. Nonetheless, the skins obtained with the skin editor can compete aesthetically with any manually created skin.

What happens if I use the skin editor to modify a skin created using the manual method?

In most cases the skin editor behaves as expected. However the skin editor doesn’t achieve the complexity that can be attained when manually skinning. So if you experience unexpected behaviour (mainly modifications that are ineffective) it is because the skin you are editing is beyond the level of complexity that skin editor can offer.

Why there is a “Transparency” option in Skin editor for WLM 2011, but not for WLM 2009

With over 200 levels of transparency offered to virtually all the elements, skinners will be able to create great effects by stacking images or colors. Unfortunately, the skinners of WLM 2009 always had difficulties when dealing with element transparency. For example, many jpg images cannot be made transparent even if the corresponding def file property is set. And this is just one example. Due to these known limitations of WLM 2009 skinning we decided to block the use of this functionality for the time being.

How do I submit my contributions to website?

First you will need to package your masterpiece. Then you’ll need an account. If you don't have one yet you can create one on the registration page and it is completely free. Once you are logged in, under 'My Account', go to My Contributions from where you can add a new contribution. When you hit 'Save' your contribution is send to the moderation queue. When it is accepted it will show up on the website. If the moderators decline your contribution you will be informed via a private message. You can find more information’s on how to package and submit Skins here and Plugins here.

One of my skins/plugins is credited to Unknown User. How can I fix that?

You can claim your old skins and plugins. Unclaimed skins and plugins attributed to 'Unknown User' as author. If you created them, just send a message with your profile page URL and the URL to the items you created to support@kimahrisoftware.com.

Plugin X doesn’t work?

You’ll need to contact the creator/s of the plugin. If they added an 'about' window, you may find ways to contact them or you can send a private message to their user profile on the website. They also might be active on the forum, so check the scripting-forum.

What happened to the Scripts?

Nothing happened to the Scripts, just the name. Scripts on the Messenger Plus! website are now called "Plugins".

Can Messenger Plus! for Windows Live Messenger open a back door for viruses and Trojans?

No, Messenger Plus! for Windows Live Messenger is designed with security in mind. It won’t give unauthorized software ways to connect on your computer. The reason is quite simple: Messenger Plus! for Windows Live Messenger does not directly open any network port on your machine. It is important to note however that nothing prevents plugins installed in Messenger Plus! from using your internet connection in any way they want.

The decryption of my logs is very slow?

The time of encryption/decryption of a log depend on the size of the log and the encryption levels. To speed up to encryption/decryption time, just use a lower encryption level. You can choose: 2048, 1024, 640 or 384. Remember that the lower is the encryption, the faster the decryption, but it is also a bit less safe.

I forgot the password for one my log, how can I retrieve it?

Unfortunately, if you forgot the password that you use to encrypt a log there is no way to retrieve it or the content of the log.

My account is locked. How can I reset it?

When too many failed login attempts occur with an account the system lock it down. To unlock your account you need to go to login page and click on the “Forgotten password” link. Then enter the email address associated to your account. You will receive a new password by email; it is highly recommended that you change it after you next login.

Translations are done by volunteers and may not be perfect but you can help make improve them. If you find a problem in the translation you are using, please report it on the forum under the Translation section. All the reports that are submitted properly (instructions can be found on the forum) will be read and the translation will be fixed accordingly in the next release of Messenger Plus!.

Messenger doesn't display a language properly. How can I fix it?

If you see squares or other kind of garbage characters instead of a language's font in Windows Live Messenger or Messenger Plus! for Windows Live Messenger, the appropriate font is simply not installed on your system. In Windows XP, go in your Control Panel, select "Regional and Language Options", select the "Languages" tab (second one) and make sure the two checkboxes are checked ("Install files for right-to-left languages" and "Install files for East Asian languages"). Then click on "Details...", go in the "Advanced" tab of the new window and make sure no checkbox is checked there ("Extend support of advanced text services" and "Turn off advanced text services"), close all windows by pressing "OK" and restart Windows.

My language is not in Messenger Plus! for Windows Live Messenger. Can it be added?

As a general rule, languages spoken by a minority of people will not be added to the software for practical reasons and also to avoid increasing the size of the setup package. The translation of Messenger Plus! is a very time consuming job done by volunteers, so you’ll need to convince the community on the forum. Even if your language is not included in the setup, you can always translate the software in any language you desire and post your file on the forum or on your web site.